Day Trips · tomar

A Day in Tomar

40 minutes from Nazaré · Castles and the Knights of the Templar

Let’s leave Nazaré for the day...

It’s only about an hour’s drive, but by the time we reach Tomar, it feels like we’ve somehow travelled back to the days of castles, secret symbols and the Knights Templar.

Before we climb that hill, let’s start down beside the Nabão River, grab a coffee... maybe one of those little almond and squash queijadas or a traditional Fatia de Tomar. We’ll find a table outside, watch the river drift by and look up at that enormous castle sitting above the town.

Now, picture this...

Tomar was founded more than 800 years ago in the 12th century by Dom Gualdim Pais, the leader of the Knights Templar in Portugal.

The castle and convent became their headquarters to help protect it and were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Now, when the Templars disappeared across much of Europe, Portugal continued through the Order of Christ, and with their power, knowledge and wealth become connected to Portugal’s great voyages of discovery.

Let's take a walk...

The road going up winds through the trees until suddenly the walls of the Templar Castle and Convent of Christ are standing right in front of us.

Through those gates are stone stairways, long hallways, hidden corners and quiet courtyards everywhere. It feels like every door leads to another part of the story.

Fun fact

Then we step inside the Charola, a round Templar church is the oldest part of the convent, built during the 12th century and inspired by the churches and fortifications the knights had seen in the Holy Land.

You could spend half the day wandering through this place.

Stand in the centre for a minute and slowly look around... the paintings, the arches, the gold and all those tiny details.

Now let’s walk back down through the trees of Sete Montes and into the old town and from here we can wander through the little shops, and finish the day back beside the river at a café…we’ll find a little table overlooking the Nabão, order something cold and share a Fatia de Tomar.